As a boss, you have a choice...hire Labor to produce what you want, exactly how you want it. Give them a road map, and mandate they work as hard as they can to get you there...first. For this, you need Labor that values the trade-off between pay and the grind more than the idea of directing the outcome. Generally, you need people that are asleep...at least while at work. If you're lucky, you'll survive and get that 3% margin, enough to hang on for another year.
The other choice is to hire people who care about your idea and are emotionally engaged with the outcome...people that are awake. Your job isn't to direct what these people do everyday, but to keep them awake...energized and ready to take on new possibilities.
Choosing the first path is dangerous. Not just because of diminishing returns associated with increased efficiency, but because the robot labor supply is also shrinking. While you can still find a fairly large group of rule followers willing to trade eight hours of being bored to tears for a paycheck today, this group is dwindling. Labor is figuring it out...they don't have to settle. They can get paid for for something other than working in a box...they can get paid to think...and to lead, even if their tribe is a group of one. In the process, thinking will become more valuable than doing.
As more and more of your competitors choose the latter...what's your choice really?
Awake...the new order, the new charge...the new grind. Best get started.
Happy Labor Day
Keeping Artists Home
Sometimes you have budding artists on your team. Have you recognized them? Have you nurtured them? Do you have a good chance (or any chance) of keeping them?
Do you…
- Explore/Harness Passion vs. Give Performance Evaluations
- Create Groups/Channels of Learning vs. Offer Training Classes
Sometimes you have people on your team that stand in the way…impede your progress and keep their colleagues from being successful artists. What are you doing to challenge them?
These people…
- Complain vs. Help
- Follow Instructions vs. Develop New Ideas
- Do their Job vs. Push the Boundaries
What are you doing to keep the passion and enthusiasm from escaping?
The Power of a Hug
The power of a hug is remarkable. It goes further than a nice smile, pleasant hello and a handshake. It goes further than using someone's name or recognizing a repeat guest...it goes a lot further. It crosses a line. It gets personal...it means you really do care. There's no disguising your feelings once you give someone a hug.
Doubletree can't buy enough ads to convince people they care this much...neither can you. So, spend the ad money on a Louree Jefferson. Better yet, a bunch of them.
P.S. Do you think Louree needs a resume? Most remarkable people don't.
Boo!
You know you have a great wife when...
People vs. Function
Often, when developing staffing guides and org charts, we focus on functions and tasks to be completed...how many rooms to be cleaned, room service orders delivered, guests checked-in, etc. I wonder how the structure, number of employees and guest experience would change if we approached it differently...on hiring great people, reducing tasks and flattening structure. My guess is it would be a better experience for everyone. Hire intelligent, passionate, trustworthy people...and, do whatever it takes to keep them.
Recruiting The Best
When you consider the importance of recruiting the best and brightest people into your company (your life depends on it), why is it we often treat the prospects like applicants, instead of possible partners? Remember the hoops you jumped through to win the heart of your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend? Remember the passion, the creativity that went into getting that person's attention? I submit that if we tried just half as much to show job candidates how much we care, we might stand a chance to snag the best one.
Here's a great example of a very meaningful recruiting strategy (thanks Seth for the pointer).